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09th Nov 2015

Payet injury comes as a blow to fantasy football managers as well as West Ham fans

Tom Victor

French midfielder Dimitri Payet has been an absolute revelation since arriving in the Premier League.

The West Ham playmaker has replicated his form for previous club Marseille, scoring five goals and picking up four assists as his new team have recorded some shock wins.

That sort of form has also endeared him to fantasy football managers, with more than a third of people including him in their squad for the Hammers’ draw against Everton.

But he left the field of play with an ankle injury early in the second half, and could now be out for as long as three months.

West Ham fans are distraught by the news, which was compounded when Payet’s replacement Enner Valencia was carried off with an injury of his own.

But they’re used to their players suffering long-term absences.

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While supporters of other clubs also felt the effect of one of the league’s newest talents.

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The club will hope the three month estimate turns out to be wrong.

As for fantasy league managers? Perhaps they’ll look to James McCarthy, the man who crocked him, in the hope that he took on board some of Payet’s magic in the challenge.